I Crawl Through It is a surrealistic exploration of the nooks and crannies behind life’s many dimensions, and teaches us that everything in the human experience has multiple layers.

The novel is told from multiple points of view. Stanzi, a girl who always wears a lab coat and is in love with her best friend, Gustav who is building an invisible helicopter. China, a gifted poet who swallowed herself. Lansdale, aka “Hairnocchio,” a pathological liar whose hair grows with every lie she tells. These characters embark on journeys of their own, all in the midst of bomb threats and standardized tests.

The metaphors and the political symbolism within this book are astounding. Though the book at first appears to be strange and random, A.S. King cleverly weaves in issues teens face everyday in an honest and open way, even going as far as school shootings and SAT testing. It explores the everyday struggles a teen faces of the world trying to force you to fit in, even when you can’t help but stand out.

When you pick up this book, you will be transported into a world with multiple layers, until you ultimately realize that it is the one you are living in. Always remember: Nothing is ever as it seems, but there is always a way to crawl through it.